Commander Susan Ivanova records a personal log about recent events. Ever since Captain John Sheridan figured out that the Shadows could be disrupted by telepaths, he's been recruiting every one he could find and sending them off to various resistance camps and ships of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. It's hoped their influence will reduce the Shadows' ability to wreak havoc. Sheridan himself has rarely left the War Room; he is tired, but he keeps pushing himself. Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Franklin, still on his Walkabout, has not been seen in over a week. Ivanova hopes he resolves his issues and returns to duty soon. She also notes that, while not a Christian, she appreciates the presence of Brother Theo Ankises's monastic order. They have provided a calming influence for the people on the station (as she states this in voiceover, a monk relays a message to Brother Theo who reacts to the letter with some reluctance.). Finally, she notes that Brother Theo's personality bears similarity to someone else she knows – G'Kar.

G'Kar pleading to allow the telepaths to be given Narn bodyguards on a one-to-one basis. Ivanova explains that their security is already being guaranteed, but G'Kar counters that the Narns would be willing to go into danger with the telepaths so as to protect them from Shadow agents. He notes they serve themselves by doing so, a certain symmetry.

Meanwhile, Vir Cotto is preparing a meal in Londo Mollari's quarters. As he does so, Mollari comes to the conclusion that he has to deal with G'Kar once and for all, and soon. Cotto is reluctant, noting there are more immediate concerns, but Mollari insists on dealing with G'Kar before he becomes an immediate concern. Cotto points out that G'Kar has sanctuary while he's on Babylon 5, but Mollari knows this; his plan is to lure G'Kar back to Narn Homeworld where he can be caught and executed. And to his surprise, Cotto is informed he will be instrumental to the plan.

Ivanova waits in the arrivals area when Brother Theo joins her. He notes that the next few minutes will be notably aggravating for him. As he speaks, a boisterous voice calls out to him. Theo and the new arrival trade verbal barbs for a while before Ivanova asks for introductions. The new arrival is Reverend William Dexter, a Southern Baptist. With him are Mr. Chong, a Bhuddist monk, Rashid Abdul, a Muslim cleric, and Jewish Rabbi Leo Mayers. As Ivanova shows them to temporary quarters, Theo continues to grumble but the others find it amusing. A few more notables arrive at the station: Lord Refa and Minister Virini, a high official of the Centauri Emperor.

Delenn meets Sheridan in the War Room as he pores over his notes about the Shadow attacks. Even as Delenn tries to tell Sheridan that he's become rather hard to approach, Sheridan ignores it and remarks that while the Shadows are tactically brutally efficient, their gross strategy seems almost random, leading him to believe there is a greater logic behind them. Finally, Delenn insists that Sheridan take a rest, and he finally admits that, for the most part, he can't. Ever since Kosh was killed, his sleep has been troubled, full of nightmares. Delenn then informs him that some people he'd invited to the station have arrived and are waiting for him. Sheridan tries to say he doesn't have time, but Delenn points out she already made the arrangements, and since Minbari aren't supposed to lie (except to save face), her honor is at stake. Dinner will be in two hours.

Cotto returns to Mollari's quarters to inform him of the arrival of Refa and Virini, but Mollari already knows and is preparing to see them. Meanwhile, he tells Cotto how he will draw G'kar to Narn. G'Kar's attaché, Na'Toth, has not been seen since the end of the Narn-Centauri War, and is assumed dead, a casualty of the bombing. Cotto is to go to G'Kar and tell him that Centauri forces have located her and are holding her in one of the dungeon cells below the building once used by the Kha'Ri. The idea is that G'Kar, the only member of the Kha'Ri still free, would be among the few people who could navigate the maze-like caverns there. Since he and Na'Toth were quite close, he will somehow smuggle himself to Narn . . . where Mollari's guards will be waiting. Cotto does not want to go through with it, but Mollari insists. Cotto is the only Centauri G'Kar will have any reason to believe. When Cotto's conscience keeps him from agreeing, Mollari threatens to reveal his involvement in the Narn underground railroad which would humiliate – and ultimately destroy – his family and his House.

Refa sees Virini to his quarters. Both seem a bit demeaning of the accommodations and the Humans in general, but then Virini gets to the point. Refa and Mollari appear to be in the midst of a feud, and Emperor Cartagia wants the matter settled, giving Virini the authority to see to it. It will not be easy. Mollari has plenty of wealth and influence, but Refa has plenty of allies in the Centaurum. Indeed, Refa's purpose in inviting Virini to the station is to influence him over to his side. Mollari arrives just as Refa leaves.

Cotto arrives at G'Kar's quarters and relays the message as told to him by Mollari.

Virini tells Mollari the same thing he told Refa: the feud must be settled. Cotto joins them. Mollari then promises to prove House Mollari's loyalties by deeds rather than by words – starting with removing a certain "embarrassment" that has plagued the Royal Court for some time – before leaving with Vir.

Outside, Cotto is getting angry. He thinks Mollari sent him on his demeaning errand just so he could curry favor in the Royal Court. But Mollari points out that Cotto is too young to understand that this is how Centauri politics works.

Some time later, Sheridan and Delenn have dinner with their guests: Reverend Dexter and his companions along with Brother Theo. Sheridan reveals that the invitation wasn't merely social. With their ties to Earth severed and with ISN now a propaganda machine, it has been difficult to get the real news from back home. Dexter reveals that Brother Theo, despite their constant bickering, has been working on the problem. Dexter opens his Bible to reveal a cutout compartment. Inside are data crystals. In them are various intercepts from all throughout Earth; each had gathered information from their various spheres of influence. The big news is that the Earth Resistance is still very much in operation, as much as President Clark would like the people to think otherwise. He's been trying to paint Babylon 5 as a renegade outpost working with aliens to subvert Earth.

G'Kar goes to Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. He needs to get to the Narn Homeworld in secret. Garibaldi points out that leaving means he can be pursued by the Centauri, but G'Kar insists, saying it's a personal matter. He just needs a craft able to drop him off just outside the capital and then pick him up again in a few hours. And he needs it immediately.

A despondent Cotto goes into a transport tube. Already in the tube is a Centauri guard. Upon seeing Cotto, he presses a button: apparently some kind of signal. When Cotto steps out again, several people grab him and drag him back into the transport tube. They take him into a darkened room and shut the door. A spotlight then reveals Lord Refa, who reveals that he intends Cotto to tell him Mollari's plan to depose Refa, or die.

After dinner, Reverend Dexter talks with Sheridan and has an idea. Before leaving, he hopes to hold an open church in the station's chapel, figuring the energetic style of a Southern Baptist sermon might be more to the station's liking. Brother Theo appears less than enthused at the idea but agrees to go along with it.

Cotto is sitting on a stool. Another empty stool is beside him. Refa sits down upon it and beseeches Cotto to tell him what Mollari has planned. Despite incentives and the death threats, Cotto steadfastly refuses to talk, so Refa decides to cut to the chase. Another Centauri appears in the light: a telepath. In spite of Cotto's resistance, the telepath scans Cotto and manages to learn of the plan to draw G'Kar to Narn. Satisfied, Refa leaves Cotto in the darkened room so that he cannot tell Mollari.

That night, Dexter is wandering, unable to sleep, and finds Sheridan sitting in his office. He walks in and offers some advice. He tells a story and uses it to note that, in his eagerness to work, Sheridan has been pushing away people close to him, and that could be unhealthy. Sheridan doesn't take kindly to the sermon at first but then realizes Dexter has a point: the same point Delenn had been trying to make earlier.

Z Minus 13 Days

G'Kar arrives on the Narn Homeworld where he confers with G'Dan, a member of the local Narn Resistance. G'Dan tells G'Kar that the cosmic winter effect from the planetary bombardment (dust, constant wind, and colder days) will probably persist for several years at least. G'Dan also acknowledges the message G'Kar sent earlier, though he notes the task is very risky.

Elsewhere on the planet, Refa talks with Drigo, another noble who is part of the local Centauri administration. They have been busy setting up an abandoned building to resemble the Centauri Royal Palace at the suggestion of Minister Virini, so that Cartagia would have a suitable place to stay should he visit. Refa then asks Drigo for a favor: a number of loyal guards to accompany him on a mission – to capture G'Kar. Once he has G'Kar, he'll be able to kill Mollari safely and present both to Cartagia in tribute.

Taking up Dexter's advice, Sheridan invites Delenn into the War Room. Together, they pore over the Shadow attacks. Like Sheridan, Delenn can't make sense of the pattern at first. But Sheridan appreciates the company at least. They decide to present the attacks in a three-dimensional grid again. This time, however, Sheridan notices something, and Delenn agrees. There's a gap in the attack pattern: a quiet zone where no attacks have taken place. A nagging suspicion dawns on Sheridan. What if the quiet zone is being used as a lure, to draw victims and refugees into one concentrated spot, so that they can just surround the spot and hit them all at once? Human history is full of these kinds of trap strategies: Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, San Diego. Such a move, done successfully, would be both devastating and demoralizing. Sheridan realizes that this could be the Shadows' strategy: to instill terror in everyone, not just by hitting them with devastating firepower but also by destroying any hope they may have of refuge. It is a known strategy and one he could devise himself. Upon hearing that, Delenn stops him. This "thinking like the enemy," while not unheard of in humans, scares Delenn. She drags Sheridan away from the War Room before he starts thinking too much like a Shadow.

Back on Narn, G'Kar leads G'Dan and some other Narns into the caverns under the Kha'Ri's old building.

Back on Babylon 5, someone rings the doorbell in the room where Cotto is being held. The telepath answers the door, and is promptly knocked out with a punch. In walks Mollari, who complains about how hard the telepath's head had been. Cotto tells Mollari that Refa knows of the plan.

On Narn, G'Kar discovers Lord Refa and a number of Centauri guards waiting for him.

In the B5 chapel, Reverend Dexter leads a sermon about "the enemy." It is not the alien, not the non-believer. The real enemies are fear, ignorance, and those who say to hate that which is different, because that hate can be turned against the hater.

Refa orders G'Kar taken alive and the other Narns killed. But the guards don't move. When Refa asks why, G'Kar in response activates a holographic message from Mollari to Refa. In it, Mollari reveals the whole ploy had been an elaborate ruse meant to lure Refa away from the safety of Centauri Prime. The guards are loyal to Mollari and will no longer obey Refa. This was Mollari's plan to end the feud, and to extract revenge for the inconvenience and deaths Refa's actions have caused and a way to rein in the Centauri's reckless warfare. G'Kar is in on the plan as well, though for simpler reasons. Not only is this revenge for the mass bombardments and culls carried out under Refa's orders, but in exchange for his involvement, 2,000 imprisoned Narns are to be released. Mollari concludes by informing Refa that in the manner he will be killed, his House will cease to be a threat. After the message ends, the guards abandon Refa, and G'Kar reveals the final part of Mollari's plan. He stuffs a data crystal in Refa's clothes. He then orders Refa's head left intact for identification but says the rest is fair game.

As the congregation in the B5 chapel joins in singing No Hiding Place Down Here, Refa tries to flee for his life, but even as the song describes, there is nowhere to hide. Narn soon catch Refa, drag him back, and start beating him mercilessly as G'Kar walks away.

Some time later, Mollari presents the data crystal to Minister Virini. It contains information that would've been of great value to the Narn Resistance. From appearances, it seemed Refa was trying to bribe the Narns into helping him: as the humans would say, "play both sides against the middle." Given the condition of his body, the answer was quite emphatically negative. Virini is a little surprised at this news, but Mollari points out that Refa had always been ruthlessly ambitious: out for no one but himself. The plan might have been to undermine the Royal Court so his sycophants could work their way into positions of power: taking Refa up with them. Given his questioning of Refa's authority, even Virini was a potential target. Regardless, Refa's death and apparent treason put a rather firm close to the matter of the feud. Despite some lingering doubt, Virini declares he will return to Centauri Prime and report to Emperor Cartagia, assuring Mollari he will be recommended for his service. Mollari expresses his gratitude.

Outside, Mollari finds Cotto angrier than ever. It is quite clear Mollari had been using him in more ways than one. Mollari patiently explains that he knew Refa had brought a telepath with him and had been expecting them to take Cotto hostage. His actions were meant to make sure they wouldn't suspect a trap, and it worked. Cotto points out they could have killed him, and when Mollari counters he was not important enough, Cotto counters he was important enough for Mollari to lie to him. Cotto finally vents his anger saying that he thought he knew Mollari; not anymore, and storms off, leaving Mollari to ponder this.

The White Star is in hyperspace, traveling to parts unknown. Sheridan keeps pushing Delenn to say where they're going, but she says it's a surprise. But she does point out that, now that they know what the Shadows are planning, for the first time, they have the advantage. It is time to put all their forces into play. When they finally emerge back into normal space, Sheridan looks out and is awestruck. Delenn explains, "White Star was never intended to be one of a kind. It was only the first." Before them stands the First White Star Fleet: finally complete and ready for action. The Rangers will take command of the ships, under their joint command. For the first time in the war, they have, as humans would say, "a fighting chance." Sheridan is completely at a loss for words, so Delenn offers something that does not require words: a long, passionate kiss.

"I'm tired, I haven't had a good night's sleep since Kosh died. I'm having the kind of nightmares that make your hair stand on end."
"Well, that would explain the Centauri."

– Sheridan and Delenn

“

"You know, before I got married, Emily used to come by sometimes and help me clean out my apartment. Well, I asked her, "How come your so eager to help me clean up my place when your place is just as bad?" She said, "Because cleaning up your place helps me to forget what a mess I've made of mine, and---when I sweep my floor, all I've done is sweep my floor. But when I help you clean up your place, I'm helping you."

The rabbi visiting Babylon 5 enthusiastically sings along with the Christian Gospel song. This is actually an error on JMS's part; he had recalled (incorrectly) that the biblical verse came from the Hebrew Bible (it actually is part of the New Testament). He pointed out that the rabbi might have done this to be polite.

This is the first instance we're told what happened to Na'Toth, who had not been seen since the bombing of Narn. How she got sent down there we're not told, but it might have had something to with her attack on Vir which he mentioned about in this episode, but which we never saw.